National Consultancy for education learner’s welfare and equity key interventions, Harare, Zimbabwe, 125 days (Open to Zimbabwe Nationals Only)

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UNICEF Zimbabwe is inviting applications for a national individual to To provide technical assistance, coordination, oversight, and documentation support to MoPSE’s Learner Welfare, Psychological Services, and Special Needs Education (LEPS) department in the implementation, monitoring, and reporting of inclusive education, disability inclusion, safeguarding, health & nutrition, and learner welfare programmes. The consultant will support multi-sectoral coordination across education, child protection, WASH, health, nutrition and social policy, ensuring coherent implementation of critical interventions towards the 2025 Annual Work Plan outputs.

BACKGROUND

UNICEF’s fundamental mission is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere — in its programming, advocacy, and operations. Guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its equity strategy, UNICEF emphasizes reaching the most disadvantaged and excluded children. Promoting equity ensures that all children can survive, develop, and thrive without discrimination.

In Zimbabwe, UNICEF supports the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE) to uphold the rights and welfare of all learners. Key programmatic interventions—through various major grants—include disability inclusion, safeguarding, health and nutrition at schools, WASH in schools and promotion of safe, and inclusive learning environments.

As part of UNICEF’s ongoing technical support to MoPSE’s Learner Welfare, Psychological Services, and Special Needs Education (LEPS) department, there is a need for a dedicated consultant to strengthen programming, fast-track implementation, oversight, documentation, and coordination of inclusive education, safeguarding, WASH in schools, school health and nutrition and related multi-sectoral interventions.

ASSIGNMENTS:

Under the overall guidance of the Education Specialist and in close collaboration with MoPSE-LEPS, the consultant will:

Inclusive Education and Disability Inclusion

• Provide technical support to the LEPS department for implementation and follow-up of inclusive education initiatives.
• Conduct oversight and prepare monitoring reports for:
  • Model Inclusive Infant Education Facilities (MIIEF) at national and sub-national levels.
  • Clinical remediation programs (for both physical and invisible impairments) including documentation of progress and improvement recommendations.
• Conduct end-user monitoring of inclusive education supplies provided to MoPSE over the past two years, and document utilization, reach, and gaps.

Child Safeguarding and Safe Learning Environments

• Provide technical guidance on the implementation of Safe to Learn interventions, including:
• School-based psychosocial support activities.
• Capacity building initiatives for teachers on safeguarding, child protection, and mental health.
• Support monitoring of the national safeguarding framework in schools, including child protection referral mechanisms and reporting protocols.

School Health, WASH and Nutrition Interventions

• Monitor and report on school feeding programmes, WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) in schools, and health-related initiatives.
• Identify synergies between school health interventions and inclusive education priorities, ensuring the holistic well-being of learners.
• Community Engagement and Demand Creation
• Support strategies for community outreach and engagement to identify and reintegrate children with disabilities and children out of school or at risk of dropping out.
• Collaborate with the Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) section to strengthen advocacy and awareness campaigns on inclusive education and child rights.

Research, Monitoring and Documentation

• Provide technical input into ongoing and planned research on learner welfare and inclusive education supported by UNICEF.
• Lead or support documentation of good practices, lessons learned, and case studies from inclusive education and safeguarding activities.
• Contribute to the development of progress reports, briefing notes, and presentations for government and donor stakeholders.

Undertake necessary Programme visits and related reports

.

Main Responsibilities

1.Document Review:

• Review key program documents, reports, evaluations, and relevant literature.
• Identify critical themes, challenges, successes, and areas for improvement.

2.Stakeholder Consultations:

• Conduct key informant interviews with implementing partners, government representatives, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Organize and facilitate focus group discussions (FGDs) with program beneficiaries.

3.Development of Knowledge Management Product:

• Analyze the collected information and structure key insights into a comprehensive Knowledge Management report.
• Ensure the report includes case studies, evidence-based findings, and actionable recommendations.
• Develop a user-friendly and visually engaging document suitable for diverse audiences.

4.Presentation and Validation:

• Present the draft Knowledge Management product to UNICEF and key stakeholders for feedback.
• Incorporate feedback and finalize the document.

Major tasks and deliverables:

Tasks/Milestone:

Deliverables/Outputs:

Timeline

Inception report

Detailed workplan, methodology and stakeholder engagement plan

5 days (5%)

Reports on MIIEF, Clinical remediation and related inclusive education activities, including attendance to related meetings with MOPSE

Monthly Monitoring reports, at least 1 Human interest stories and at least 1 Field programme visits reports

40 days (30%)

Reports on safe to learn interventions, health (HPV), Nutrition and school feeding interventions, , including attendance to related meetings with MOPSE

Monthly Monitoring reports, at least 1 Human interest stories and at least Field programme visits reports

Support the procurement of materials for foundational learning and children with disability and monitor with LEPS and CP, PMN & supply sections the end use of the materials based on the distribution list

Procurement and end user monitoring report produced and at least 1 field programme visit report

40 days (35%)

Summary of activities conducted including key findings and recommendations

Monthly progress reports and inputs into the Result assessment module

15 days (15%)

At least three briefs on inclusive education, safeguarding and school health/WASH interventions

Technical briefs

20 days (10%)

Consolidated report on achievements, challenges and recommendations

End of assignment report

5 days (5%)

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Education:

Master’s degree degree in one of the following fields is required: education, economics, psychology, sociology, or another relevant technical field.

Experience:

• At least 5 years’ experience working in at least two of these areas: the following: inclusive education, school health and/or child protection
• Experience working with government stakeholders and multi-sectoral teams
• Proven ability to analyze, document and communicate effectively
• Familiarity with UNICEF programming principles and donor funded education initiatives is an asset
• Good analytical, negotiation, communication, and advocacy skills
• Previous experience of working inclusive education, safeguarding and health in education
• Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.
• Computer knowledge in working in Microsoft Office is essential

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• Demonstrated ability to work in a multi-disciplinary environment and to establish harmonious and effective working relationships with governmental, nongovernmental and civil society organizations
• Ability to identify challenges, troubleshoot issues, and ensure data quality and integrity during data collection.
• Strong organizational and planning skills, that ensure work is effectively prioritized to meet deadlines.

Language Requirements

Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of the local language is an asset.

The detailed consultancy terms of reference is downloadable via this link ToR Individual Consultant Learner welfare and equity- with commentsFV-signed JA.+za .pdf

If interested and available to undertake the individual consultancy, please submit your application online and attach the required documents including the technical proposal and an all-inclusive financial proposal incorporating an approximate number of travel days for field (local) travel.

Technical proposal: The Technical Proposal should articulate an understanding of the TOR and include the proposed Tasks/Milestones, Deliverables/Outputs, Timeline and level of effort by deliverable. The similar table provided in the TOR is indicative. Applicants may use the indicative table as a guide or deviate as per the proposed approach. The proposal should also cost-effectively propose the local travel proposed by the applicant to undertake the assignment.

Financial proposal: The Financial Proposal should include the costs (providing a daily rate as justification) for each task, including consultant fee, proposed travel costs and perdiem, communications costs and any other proposed cost.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.

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